Also here Virginia Gazette

AB Execs To Leave when InBev Takes Over; Theme Parks Head to Stay, At Least For Now (see the last paragraph):

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/...15?OpenDocument

AB Settles Shareholder Litigation Regarding Pending Merger With InBev:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Anhe...8-E2DC1FD5CE10}

InBev Acquisition of AB 'On Track':

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9e2f8f38-ac70-11...0077b07658.html

Speculation on possible buyers of parks

Justice Department Approves Beer Merger With Slight Hiccup:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/f...ch-merger_N.htm

Well I hope the right decision is made, I would hate to go to war with Canada about the distribution of the Blue. You just don't buy a few horses and then raise the price of the Blue. Like I said, the Judge better make the right decision.

Monroe craving a Buffalo Bison game, where he first tasted the Blue and liked it.

Could Shamu Follow Labatt Out Of AB Arena?

http://www.sdbj.com/article.asp?aID=331213...amp;aID2=131482

Terpy – thanks for the links to many informative articles, but this last one I would love to ask the author of the article a question; what did the title for the article have to do with the information in the article?

After taking a minute to read that article to learn nothing new and to being so perplexed that I questioned myself that maybe I over read the article, so I wasted another minute to reread the article to find out what Shamu had to do with the article as the title suggests.

I don’t blame you Terpy but I think that was the most meaningless article I have read in a long time and hope Connie was not paid for that. If I had a subscription I would be questioning how a article like that gets out to a paying audience.

Lesson time....I doubt seriously that the author had ANYTHING to do with the headline. Authors write the body of the article. The headlines are composed by who knows whom...it varies, but is almost NEVER the author. Oftentimes, headlines even totally contradict the article itself....

As for Shamu, locals in San Diego would know he lives at Seaworld...the headline writer was attempting to be cute.

Thanks Terpy I feel better now.

Honestly I have learned so much about the industry from your articles and really do appreciate you taking the time to share them with us.

With all the informative articles you link us to; a fuddy duddy was bond to happen.

InBev closes deal for AB:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/storie...17/daily11.html

If Busch Gardens Is For Sale, Who Might Be Interested?

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tour...ticle910021.ece

In what may or may not be a sign, no mention of the theme parks in this article, which does refer to InBev-AB's "mountain of debt:"

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...mp;refer=europe

Some rumors about InBev and theme park changes denied...others not....

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_...-entertain.html

Cooper County Gets Clydesdales:

...Other experts have also commented that although some of A-B’s vast holdings such as Busch’s Gardens and Sea World theme parks might be in jeopardy, the Clydesdales are too valuable to lose.....

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Nov/20081126News004.asp

More speculation the parks will be divested. See the last paragraph here:

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/lager-hea...n-analysts-say/

Splitting Property Is A Thorny Task:

http://www.vagazette.com/news/local/va-new...0,3442171.story

AB InBev to Cut 1400 US Jobs, none in Busch Entertainment to date:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

The last paragraph, though, is rather ominous:

...InBev is renowned for its tight control of costs since the company was formed in a 2004 merger between Brazil's AmBev and Belgium's Interbrew. The Brazilian management team who headed the company had a sharp focus on costs that came as a shock to the European business....

Good news parkwise confirmed, at least for now:

...Anheuser specified that the cuts will come from its beer-related divisions, meaning jobs in its theme park division — including Busch Gardens Europe, Water Country USA and the Kingsmill Resort — also should be safe....

Bad news clarified, too:

...A letter that employees received Monday said affected workers had not been notified, and they will likely be people who hold engineering, information technology and other corporate positions....

http://www.dailypress.com/business/dp-biz_...0,3907990.story

(Yes, portions of it are from earlier reports, but there is also new information there to be interpreted...the signs are all about us, will we read or even see them?)

Switching to another story, perhaps most ominous:

....None of those actions affect the corporation's Central Florida-based theme-parks division, Busch Entertainment Corp.

"We have no work-force reductions in our plans at the moment," said Fred Jacobs, Busch Entertainment spokesman....

[emphasis added]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/or...0,2370767.story

Sigh...I know a hedge when I see it....it's being studied, but no plans at the moment. Corporate speak or just an abundance of caution? Though we can hope for the latter, I suspect it is the former. Stay tuned.

I just want to be able to visit these excellent parks in the future, I don't care about alcohol!

Just know that the great company that was AB cared about those parks to an extent seldom seen in the industry. And how the alcohol company disposes of its assets will greatly affect the future of the parks. Nothing is as simple as it seems. By watching what happens here, you can learn a lot about the industry. Conventional wisdom said Cedar Fair would not buy Paramount Parks, either. Or that Paramount would greatly leverage its movie themes in the theme parks on a level similar to that seen at what was MGM Studios at WDW. Conventional wisdom is often wrong. One must learn to think both inside and outside the box. Many achieve that. Then you must go on to think of the box itself. Is it a box? If so, why? If not, why do others think there is? If there is a box, is there a darn good reason for that box? If the box is a hindrance, is there a way to make it disappear, or better yet, sell it and put the proceeds to good use? &c.

Oh, yeah:

http://www.acronymfinder.com/Et-Cetera-(&C).html

^^So in other words...it sounds like you're describing the NATIONAL!! Football League!?!

In a supposedly not related action (and also posted here elsewhere):

No Busch Gardens, Seaworld for Dubai:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attr...,2251456.column